Yamato (left side) resumed playing catch at the Ni-gun Naruohama facilities on Saturday. He played catch with the trainer at a distance of about fifteen meters. Source: Nikkan Sports 8/2/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Kila Ka'aihue did not play in Saturday's game against the Yomiuri Giants because of bruise on his left index finger. Ka'aihue suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch during an at bat in the 12th inning of Friday's game. He is expected to return to the line-up on Sunday. Source: Nikkan Sports 8/2/2014, Nikkan Sports 8/2/2014

Kam Mickolio did not pitch in Friday's game against the Yomiuri Giants because of tightness in his lower back. He started feeling the tightness while traveling on the Shinkansen to Tokyo from Hiroshima. Source: Daily Sports 8/2/2014

Nippon Ham Fighters

Michael Crotta left Saturday's game with pain in his left side. He entered the game in the top of the 9th and left with a runner on second and two outs. He was taken to a hospital in Sapporo for an evaluation. Source: Nikkan Sports 8/2/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi (left shoulder) started a Ni-gun game against Nippon Ham on Tuesday. He gave up two runs on five hits over six innings of work. He threw eighty-six pitches, walked one, struck out four, and topped out at 141km/h. The two runs he allowed came on a two-run home run to Kenji Sato in the 6th. He is currently scheduled to return to the active roster in time for a start on the 9th against Yokohama. Source: Sponichi 7/1/2014, Nikkan Sports 7/1/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Tsuyoshi Nishioka missed Tuesday's game against the Yakult Swallows because of tightness in his right elbow. He participated in pre-game warm-ups and batting practice, but did not fielding practice. Whether or not plays on Wednesday will depend on how he is feeling before the game. Source: Daily Sports 7/1/2014, Sponichi 7/1/2014, Nikkan Sports 7/1/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Zach Lutz took an HBP off his right forearm during a game against Nippon Ham on June 29. He was examined at a hospital on Tuesday and diagnosed with a bruise. He did not play on Tuesday and is a question mark for Wednesday. Source: Nikkan Sports 7/1/2014

Nippon Ham Fighters

Atsunori Inaba (left knee) played in a Ni-gun rehab game against Yomiuri on Tuesday. He was the starting designated hitter and batted third. He went 0-for-2: F7, Kl. Source: Nikkan Sports 7/1/2014

Kensuke Kondo (left hamstring) also played in Tuesday's Ni-gun game against Yomiuri. He entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Inaba in the 6th and went 1-for-3 with an RBI. It was his first game since June 15. Source: Nikkan Sports 7/1/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi (left shoulder) pitched in a Ni-gun batting practice scrimmage on Tuesday. He threw sixty-two pitches, faced fifteen hitters, gave up four could-be hits, walked one, and struck out two. He could pitch during the Ni-gun Yakult series that begins on the 27th. Source: Sanspo 6/25/2014

Hirokazu Sawamura (right shoulder) could return to the active roster in time for a Chunichi series that begins on July 4 at Tokyo Dome. Source: Sponichi 6/25/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Takashi Toritani returned to workouts on Wednesday. He missed practices on Tuesday because he was getting his right knee examined. He told reporters on Wednesday everything was fine. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/25/2014, Sponichi 6/25/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Junpei Shinoda started a Ni-gun game against Chunichi on Tuesday. He left partway through the 3rd inning because of tightness in his left adductor. His final line was one run on two hits, two walks, and two hit batsmen over 2.1 innings of work. The leg first started getting tight after a shutout he tossed on the 17th. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/25/2014

Ryuji Ichioka (right shoulder) tossed a bullpen session on Tuesday. It was his first session since he hurt his shoulder. He threw twenty-two pitches to a standing catcher and twenty-five to a squatting catcher. He told reporters he felt no pain when throwing at full strength. Assuming no problems, he will toss another session on Thursday and will also do some long-distance throwing. From there, he could throw some batting practice over the weekend. There is still no timetable on when he might be able to pitch in his first Ni-gun rehab game. Source: Daily Sports 6/25/2014

Chunichi Dragons

The Dragons announced that Doala will not be turning back-flips until his right ankle is healed (he was diagnosed with a ligament injury). He is hoping to resume back-flips for the Yomiuri series that begins on July 25. Doala suffered the injury while attempting a back-flip during a game against Lotte on the 21st. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/25/2014, Sports Hochi 6/25/2014 ... Doala will have to keep the ankle immobile for about three weeks. He will continue to make appearances during games. Source: Sponichi 6/25/2014

Hirokazu Sawamura (right shoulder) started a Ni-gun game against Rakuten at Giants Stadium on Tuesday. He gave up a run on three hits over 3.2 innings of work. His start was cut short because the game was called due to rain. He threw fifty-one pitches and topped out at 151km/h. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/24/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi (left shoulder) is currently slated to pitch in a Ni-gun rehab game on the 29th against Yakult. If things go smoothly, he could return to the active roster during a six-game stretch that begins on July 1. Source: Daily Sports 6/24/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Shota Dobayashi (right ring finger) played in his first Ni-gun rehab game on Tuesday. With the score tied at one with none on and two out in the 5th inning, he hit a 2-0 pitch over the left-center field wall. Source: Daily Sports 6/24/2014 ... Dobayashi got the start at third and batted lead-off. He went 2-for-3, including an infield hit in his first at bat, a walk in his second, and a solo home run in this third. Nikkan Sports 6/24/2014

Chunichi Dragons

According to Tokyo Sports, Masahiro Araki (right index finger) started playing catch on Monday even though doctors never gave him the green light. He was being careful though: he threw the ball with a plastic splint on his index finger and tried to use more of his middle finger. "... The swelling is going away and there's no pain. I can actually throw the ball like this, and wanting to make it back as soon as possible is the way professionals think. I'm not the type to wait until I'm completely healed, I like to do things as I heal," said Araki. Source: Tokyo Sports 6/24/2014 ... Araki is currently scheduled to play in his first Ni-gun rehab game on July 1 against Hanshin. Source: Sponichi 6/24/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

The Bay Stars are expecting to get a number of players back over the next few weeks: Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, Sho Aranami, and Takayuki Kajitani. Source: Daily Sports 6/24/2014

Yakult Swallows

Wladimir Balentien told reporters on Tuesday that there was still pain in his left Achilles tendon. He is still getting treatment for it. Source: Sponichi 6/24/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi (left shoulder) tossed a bullpen session on Thursday, his third since he was taken off the active roster. He threw fastballs and all his breaking pitches. Assuming no setbacks, he will most likely pitch in two batting practice scrimmages before pitching in a Ni-gun rehab game against Yakult on the 29th. Source: Sponichi 6/20/2014 ... Utsumi pitching in a batting practice scrimmage on Friday. He faced twelve hitters, threw forty-five pitches, walked three, and allowed two could-be hits. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/20/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Kazuki Yoshimi (right elbow) left his last Ni-gun rehab start on the 18th with a cramp in the back of his right knee (he pitched three innings and gave up three runs). He was examined at a hospital in Nagoya on Thursday. No abnormalities were found. "I got a cramp in my leg and the outing didn't go as planned, but I felt good throwing the ball. I just have to get used to facing hitters," said Yoshimi. He will probably pitch in one or two more Ni-gun games and could be added to active roster some time in early July. Source: Sponichi 6/20/2014 ... According to Tokyo Sports, early July does not seem likely because Yoshimi may need more time. Source: Tokyo Sports 6/20/2014

Yakult Swallows

Yasuhiro Ogawa (right hand) tossed batting practices at the Ni-gun facilities in Toda, Saitama on Friday. He faced Ryota Yachi and Jun Matsui. He threw fifty-one pitches and allowed eight could-be hits. This was his first session as a batting practice pitcher since his injury. Source: Sponichi 6/20/2014 ... Ogawa told reporters he was throwing at sixty to seventy percent. He topped out at 142km/h. Source: Sports Hochi 6/20/2014

1st round draft pick Toshihiro Sugiura (right elbow) tossed batting practice on Friday. He faced Nariaki Kawasaki and threw thirty pitches, all fastballs. He topped out at 139km/h. It was his first outing as a batting practice pitcher since his injury. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/20/2014

There are currently no timetables on Tetsuya Utsumi (left shoulder). As of now, the plan is to wait until the inflammation goes away before setting any schedules. Source: Sponichi 6/6/2014, Nikkan Sports 6/6/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Akihito Fujii (right foot) played in a Ni-gun rehab game against Hiroshima on Thursday. He was the starting catcher and batted seventh. He played through to the 5th and went 1-for-3. It was his first game since April 25. He will play in another Ni-gun rehab game on the 7th against Orix. If everything is okay, he could join the Ichi-gun roster in time for the start of the Softbank series at Koshien on the 8th. Source: Sanspo 6/6/2014

1st round draft pick Yuta Iwasada (left shoulder) tossed batting practice at Naruohama on Thursday. He threw fifty-one pitches. It was his first session against live hitters since spring camp. Source: Sanspo 6/6/2014

Yakult Swallows

Yoshinori Sato (right shoulder) tossed batting practice at the Toda facilities on Thursday. It was the first time he faced live hitters since April 13, 2012. He threw forty-one pitches and faced Tomoya Matano and Ryuhei Kawakami. He hit 146km/h with his thirty-third pitch (the Swallows started checking the radar gun partway through the session). Source: Nikkan Sports 6/6/2014

Softbank Hawks

Seiichi Uchikawa resumed batting practice against a pitching machine on Friday. He swung at seventy pitches. Uchikawa was able swing the bat without discomfort, but still has difficulty running. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/6/2014

Nippon Ham Fighters

1st round draft pick Ryo Watanabe (right foot) is hoping to play in a rehab game on July 1 against Yomiuri at Kamagaya. He ran for about fifty minutes on Thursday. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/6/2014

Hayato Sakamoto suffered a broken nose when a ball he tried to catch on Wednesday glanced off his glove and struck him in the face. He should be okay to play since the break did not require any surgical work. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/5/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi was examined at a hospital in Tokyo on Wednesday and diagnosed with inflammation in his left rotator cuff. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/5/2014 ... Utsumi worked out at the Ni-gun facilities on Thursday. He told reporters that there were plenty of things for him to do to stay in shape that did not involve using his injured shoulder. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/5/2014

Hanshin Tigers

Tsuyoshi Nishioka participated in Ni-gun pre-game practices at Koshien for the second straight day on Thursday. Source: Sanspo 6/5/2014

Akihito Fujii (right foot) is close to being ready to play in his first Ni-gun rehab game. He took situational fielding practice on Tuesday and joined Ni-gun pre-game practices at Koshien Stadium on Wednesday. He still has some pain in his foot, but nothing bad enough to keep him from playing in a rehab game to see how things feel. Source: Daily Sports 6/5/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi was scheduled to start tonight's game against the Softbank Hawks at YafuOku Dome. He was scratched from the start because of discomfort in his left shoulder. Toru Anan was given the start.

Utsumi did not participate in practices today and instead returned to Tokyo. He is scheduled to get the shoulder examined at a hospital. He will be taken off the active roster on Thursday.

Tetsuya Utsumi temporarily left the field in the 6th inning of Thursday's game against Rakuten because he felt discomfort in his left leg. He received treatment off the field and was able to return. Source: Sponichi 5/29/2014

Hanshin Tigers

The Tigers considering adding Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) to the active roster on Wednesday, but decided to give him a little more time to make sure he is fully recovered. He will pitch in at least one more rehab game at Ni-gun and if everything is okay, he could be called up in time for the Rakuten series that begins on June 3 at kobo Stadium. Source: Sanspo 5/29/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Masahiro Araki was pulled from Thursday's game after he was hit by a pitch in the 1st inning -- Orix's Daiki Tomei hit him on the right hand with a 147km/h fastball. Araki returned to the dugout for treatment and was replaced by a pinch-runner. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/29/2014 ... Araki was taken to a hospital in Nagoya and diagnosed with a fracture in his right index finger. Source: Sports Hochi 5/29/2014

Takuya Asao (right elbow) pitched in a Ni-gun rehab game against Hiroshima on Thursday. He entered the game in the 9th and did not allow a run or a hit over an inning of work (F6, G6, Ks). He topped out at 144km/h. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/29/2014, Sanspo 5/29/2014 ... Asao has now pitched in six Ni-gun rehab games. He has not allowed a run over his last five appearances. Source: Sponichi 5/29/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

Takehiro Ishikawa hurt the back of his neck when he came into contact with a fielder while sliding into a base in the 5th inning of Wednesday's game against the Softbank Hawks. He did not play in Thursday's game against the Hawks. Source: Daily Sports 5/29/2014

Tetsuya Utsumi earned his international FA option with nine years of service time on the active roster. Utsumi signed a four-year deal before the season and told reporters the option did not mean much to him.